These images from "Laugh In" should bring back some fond memories

(http://www.timvp.com/laughin.html)

The beauty of a rainbow and the Grand Canyon

Photo by Sander Meurs

BOEING 787 DREAMLINER WILL USE RADICAL NEW TECHNOLOGY

 Even though the 787 is not a jumbo—it will carry about two hundred fifty passengers. The door opens onto a vaulted lobby rather than a cramped vestibule. And there is a surprising amount of light, thanks to the single most revolutionary feature of the 787: its huge windows. Wider and notably taller—extending from the armrest to above the top of the seat—they instantly erase that sense of walking into a claustrophobic tube. Moreover, they invite us to revisit the idea of flying as an ever-changing spectacle of earth and sky—like having an IMAX of one's own.
These enlarged openings are made possible by a radical new technology: Nearly half of the airplane will be built using graphite composites instead of aluminum. The superior strength of these composites means that the windows—which are essentially holes punched into the structure, something engineers don't like—can be thirty percent larger than those on the 767 without weakening the integrity of the fuselage. (The use of composites also makes the 787 about ten thousand pounds lighter than it would be if only aluminum were used, which in turn means that it will gulp up to twenty percent less fuel.)

Advances in power generation will provide the 787 with four times more electricity than has been possible until now, and this will have a theatrical effect in the cabin, where there will be a huge domed ceiling lights nestled within pairs of soaring arches. Artificial lighting throughout the cabin will be more adaptable that anything we have so far experienced. Flight attendants will be able to vary its intensity greatly, and to switch it from "day" to "night" to accommodate, even manipulate, our body clocks. And passengers will have greater choice at the seat: not just an on-off reading light but one that dims too. Electronic window shades will allow attendants to control the overall level of natural light while still leaving each passenger with the ability to see out clearly to the sky or terrain below, and of course to blacken their individual windows. The future also promises another significant step up in cabin comfort: greater humidity. The cabins of both the 787 and the A380 will have air pressurized at the equivalent of six thousand feet above sea level, rather than the eight thousand feet that is the present standard. This means the air will be detectably moister; what's more, the cabin air will be filtered to reduce dehydrating impurities, such as those from alcohol and perfume.
(http://www.urbanzeitgeist.com/travel/
boeing_787_dreamliner_1.html)

With backpacks and cellphones these Pigeon Scientists transmit data to a website

Equipped with miniature smog sensors, the birds will transmit air pollution data to a "pigeon blog" website. Beatriz da Costa, an assistant professor of arts, computation and engineering at UC Irvine, brainstormed the idea as a playful way to get people thinking about the health hazards of smog.The airborne art expedition is part of ZeroOne San Jose, a weeklong showcase of technology and art that includes a robotic willow tree, a karaoke ice cream truck and a laughing bicycle.

Da Costa's entry was inspired by a century-old photo of a homing pigeon wearing a tiny spy camera. The birds have a long history of military service — and some received medals for their World War II heroics. Now, pigeons have entered the Digital Age. Da Costa and two graduate students spent a year developing bird-sized cellphones, GPS tracking devices and air pollution monitors. (Sorry, still no sign of a pigeon iPod.)

The featherweight gadgetry fits inside a spandex backpack originally designed by a Colorado river-rafting company that employs pigeons to carry rolls of film back to civilization during wilderness tours. Each smog-sniffing backpack weighs less than a 10th of a pigeon's body weight and costs $250, Da Costa said. Measurements of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide are relayed to Earth via pigeon cellphone and posted at pigeonblog.mapyourcity.net. (excerpts from an article by Roy Rivenburg)

Well we all knew it was only a matter of time . . .

Hey! How do you like that view ?? It makes you feel like you're living "Six Feet Under"

This is a painted ceiling. Thanks to Robert Moring for sending it my way.

The Magic Triangle

The magic triangle


Place the numbers from 1 to 9 in the circles so the sum of each side of the triangle is the same. ?? (Look for the solution in the comments section).

At the Kettle they know how to serve up a large measure of satisfaction and pleasure

Here's Chris serving up a bowl of one of the Kettle's "more than delicious" soups. In this case it's the Portuguese Bean with Sausage (my favorite and it's wonderful). I call Chris "Mr. Efficiency" because he anticipates your every need and never forgets a thing. Thanks Chris.
. . . and now I'm ready to sit down and enjoy a special treat -- doesn't it look tempting ??
  The Kettle is located at 1138 Highland Avenue in Manhattan Beach (2 blocks from the ocean). Phone:(310) 545 8511 Other favorites of mine include the Walnut Turkey Salad Sandwich, the BLT and Avocado Sandwich, the Original Reuben, the Chicken Tortilla Soup and the Cobb Salad. A visit to Manhattan Beach is always a treat.

Another Wonderful Illusion: Wobbly Skyscraper

Those of you who think you know everything are annoying those of us who do.

Heidelberg at night

Many years ago I was fortunate to be able to visit Heidelberg, Germany often and those memories are with me always. If there's a prettier sight than the one above, I'd like to see it.
(http://www.pbase.com/tineke/heidelberg)

Trier, Germany's oldest city

Trier is said to be even older than Rome. The Roman gate and the remains of the Roman baths (shown above) are popular attractions.

How many triangles can you count ??

Check comments for the correct answer.

Hey, Richard, we missed you today -- me and the little birdies

I mean, I know I'm not your mother but when I see no sign of your daily visit, I worry. I hope everything is OK and you were just late making your appearance. When I arrived at the pier and saw no puddle I thought you would be arriving soon, but when I left it was almost 1:30 so I guess you were pretty late today. That's OK -- it's just that I'm not used to that.

A Special Note for any of you who don't know: Richard visits the pier daily to provide care for the pigeons in the form of fresh water for drinking and bathing, and birdseed for good nutrition. For the full story of Richard and his project of caring for our little feathered friends see my May 19, 2005 posting in the archives.

Icebergs floating under a cloudy sky

Vatnajokull glacier, Iceland

Iceland fjord and snow-capped mountains

Akureyri, Iceland

SUNRISE AND SOLITUDE

Oxbow Bend Lookout, with views of Mt. Moran and the Snake River near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is a popular site for photographers.
(Photo by James Dannenberg)

Satchel Paige said "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you."

1939: Satchel Paige loved a challenge, and once walked two batters to load the bases before facing Josh Gibson, whom he then struck out.
(National Baseball Hall of Fame)

August 6, 1952: Satchel Paige, 46, became the oldest pitcher in major league history to pitch a complete game or a shutout when he beat Virgil Trucks and the Detroit Tigers 1 to 0, in 12 innings while pitching for the St. Louis Browns

This could be a 2006 model but it's not

This 1959 Alfa Romeo BAT 9, the third and final of the Italian maker's Berlina Aerodynamica Technica series of concept cars, is considered the least radical design in the series. It appeared at the 1955 Turin Motor Show. The three BAT concepts, created by Franco Scaflione and Nuccio Bertone, were based on the Alfa Romeo 1900SS chassis.

Engineering marvel was doomed by ugly-duckling styling

When the Chrysler and DeSoto Airflows were unveiled in 1934, they rode better than other cars, they were powerful and fast, and they were sturdy. An automatic overdrive transmission gave them sensational mileage. Occupants had plenty of room in the unitized bodies and all sat between the wheels.

The Airflow had everything except one essential -- good looks. They look interesting now, but in 1934 buyers rejected them as ugly. Within two years, Chrysler and DeSoto sales had nosedived and the corporation was retreating rapidly to the more conventional Airstream, an interim move to save face. The DeSoto Airflow was dropped in 1936 and the Chrysler in 1937. By 1938, all styling vestiges of the Airflow were gone, although many of its engineering advances were preserved.

Does this piece of art speak to you ??

Just testing you . . . Dillon, my five-year-old grandson did this on my computer. If you have children, they might enjoy creating their own "ART" at this Jackson Pollock website. It's easy and it's free.(http://www.jacksonpollock.org/)

Much is gone but what remains is a reminder of a glorious legend

Clifford and Nelda Clinton, founded Clifton's Cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles in 1931 during the Depression. Customers became "guests," the company website said, and none were turned away hungry, even if they had no money.

During one 90-day period, 10,000 people ate free before Clifford Clinton could open an emergency "Penny Cafeteria" a few blocks away to feed, for pennies, the 2 million who came during the next two years.

At its height, there were seven Clifton's Cafeterias, with restaurants in Century City, Whittier, Lakewood, West Covina, Laguna Hills and downtown Los Angeles. But Donald Clinton said increasing rent and expiring leases closed all but the one at 648 S. Broadway in downtown Los Angeles.

The Rock Portico provided a resting place for the passers-by.
The Neon Palms became a legend.

There were 12 waterfalls in Clifton's Brookdale
and it rained every twenty minutes
and of course they provided live entertainment. (http://www.cliftonscafeteria.com/pages/)

Hey Hollywood! Wake up and smell the coffee.

Automobile "Speed King" Barney Oldfield (1878-1946) started out on 2 wheels

This picture was taken when Barney was 18 years old.

OTHERWORLDLY

The outline of the San Francisco skyline is seen beyond the fog-shrouded Golden Gate Bridge. (Photo by Paul Sakuma / AP)


DEADLY ALLURE: Since the Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937, about 1,300 people have jumped to their deaths from the span. (Photo by Robert Durell / LAT)

“Most people see the bridge’s spectacular beauty; the mentally ill see an opportunity for a romantic way out,” said John Kevin Hines, who leaped from the Golden Gate on Sept. 25, 2000. “What they choose to ignore is that hitting the water at that speed is a gruesome way to die.” Hines is one of the fewer than 20 known survivors of a jump from the Golden Gate Bridge. Hines, 23, of San Francisco leapt from the bridge in 2000, sustaining a broken back and other injuries. (Photo by Robert Durell/LAT)

Do you remember Cal ??

Here's Cal with his "dog" Spot

"Those animals really made me famous." CAL WORTHINGTON shown in a vintage TV commercial with his "dog" Spot

ON THE FLY

A moto X competitor practices a maneuver in preparation for the X Games that get underway today at Staples Center, the Home Depot Center and Marine Stadium in Long Beach. (Photo by Gina Ferazzi / LAT)

"Tree in the lake"

Photo by Andrija Kasom

Is this woman Marilyn Monroe ??

Yes, this is Marilyn Monroe, but the woman below says she is too -- in reincarnated form, that is. And a Malibu psychiatrist who does past-life regression therapy agrees with her. He's written a book that tells how Sherrie Lea Laird (below right), while under hypnosis, told intimate details of Monroe's life. Fair enough, but here's where it gets weird: The psychiatrist also says Laird's daughter (below left) is the reincarnation of Monroe's mother.
In some ways, Laird's account is reminiscent of the 1956 bestseller "The Quest for Bridey Murphy. "In that book, late author Morey Bernstein, who was a Colorado businessman and amateur hypnotist, wrote about placing a 29-year-old housewife named Virginia Tighe under hypnosis. At a certain point, she began speaking in a thick Irish brogue and, over several sessions, described her life as a woman named Bridey Murphy, who was born in 1798 near Cork, Ireland. These sessions garnered headlines and captivated the public's imagination — how could Tighe have conjured up such vivid details about a rural life in Ireland? How could she carry off a brogue? The fact that ensuing investigations failed to prove that Bridey Murphy actually existed in Ireland at that time did nothing to quell the public's interest. (excerpts from the Los Angeles Times/Robert W. Welkos)

. . . and you're thinking you had a bad day . . .

Yeah, I know, this is a fake, an image created by combining two real but unrelated photographs — a picture of a great white shark taken by South African photographer Charles Maxwell, and an Air Force photo of an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter from the 129th Rescue Wing, Moffett FAF (a California National Guard unit) snapped by Lance Cheung, but it does make for a very dramatic photo !!

A DREAM IS FINALLY REALIZED

The Rion Antirion Bridge is widely considered to be an engineering masterpiece owing to several solutions applied to span the difficult site. These difficulties include deep water, insecure materials for foundations, seismic activity and the probability of tsunamis, and the expansion of the Gulf of Corinth due to plate tectonics.

The bridge was planned in the mid-1990s. Site preparation and dredging began in July 1998, and construction of the massive supporting pylons in 2000. With these complete in 2003, work began on the traffic decks and supporting cables. On May 21, 2004, the main construction was completed; only equipment (sidewalks, railings, etc.) and waterproofing remained to be installed. The bridge was finally inaugurated on August 7, 2004, a week before the opening of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens -- and the Olympic torchbearers were the first to officially cross its length. One of them was Otto Rehhagel, the German football coach who won the Euro 2004 Championships for Greece. Another one was Costas Laliotis, the former Minister of Public Works during whose term the project had begun.

The total cost of the bridge was about € 630,000,000, mostly funded by the European Union, and it was finished ahead of its original schedule, which had foreseen completion between September and November 2004, and within budget.

The structure was designed, and, for the most part, built by the French group Vinci, which will operate it under concession under its Γ.Ε.Φ.Υ.Ρ.Α. subsidiary. The lead architect was Berdj Mikaelian.

March of the Penguins: Vacationing Birds Return Home

Brazil's air force and navy soon will transport to Antarctica more than 100 penguins that were stranded on Rio de Janeiro beaches. The flightless birds arrive from the Antarctic Circle on ice floes that melt in the vicinity of Brazil's shore, and they wash up on Rio beaches every winter. A plane will take the penguins to Brazil's southernmost region next month. They will finish their journey on a navy ship. (Photo by David Hurwitz).